I am often asked by my clients or after a group presentation, “So, what do you eat?” My answer - I follow the dietary guidelines of Weston Price. Which of course leads to the next question, “Who is Weston Price?”
Weston A. Price was a pioneer in the world of nutrition. Through my next couple of articles I will introduce you to several more of these pioneers who have had great influence on the nutritional practices that I follow and teach.
So, who is Weston Price? He was a dentist from Cleveland, Ohio who lived from 1870-1948. Back in the early 1930s he began to notice an increase in cavities and crooked teeth in his patients. Whether you know it or not, dental caries (cavities) are one of the most basic forms of disease that is common in many humans. And, teeth come in crooked and/or crowded due to deformed dental arches due to not enough space in the mouth for the teeth to come in correctly.
His mission – to discover what was causing the degeneration in dental health he was witnessing. Coincidently, he repeatedly heard stories of isolated peoples in distant lands who supposedly had no cavities and perfectly straight teeth. If this were so, then what he was experiencing in his practice could possibly be the result of nutritional deficiencies and not inherited genetic defects (the prevailing thought of the time).
Over the next ten years he traveled around the world to every continent (except Antarctica). And what did he find? When native people ate their traditional foods – sure enough – there were no cavities and they had perfectly straight teeth. However, here’s what makes the study fascinating. This was a time when our Western processed foods were just beginning to creep into these native cultures. “Foods” such as canned milk and vegetables, white flour, and sugar were being introduced to those natives who wished to “modernize.” This is critical because it allowed the same genes to be analyzed based on the nutritional quality of the diet. What he found was that as the native people adopted a Western diet, they had more cavities and crooked, crowded teeth. The more they abandoned their native diet, the worse their teeth were. His travels are documented in his classic book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. It contains many pictures and stories about what he encountered along the way.
The next question was – how did these diets differ? What was in the native food that was not in the Western food? Since he traveled all over the world he saw a wide variety of diets. There were Eskimos that ate almost exclusively animal products; there were others who ate more grains and vegetables. As a side note, he did not find any native diet that was strictly vegetarian; they all relied upon some animal foods for survival.
He took samples of their foods and brought them back to the United States to be analyzed. What he found was that the diets of the isolated peoples in comparison to that of the American diet of the day contained at least four times the water soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, organ meats, eggs, and animal fats! Certainly not the foods your cardiologist will tell you to eat!
The specific nutrients in these foods are the fat soluble vitamins A and D, along with one that wasn’t yet identified. Price called it “Activator X”, which we now understand is vitamin K. These fat soluble vitamins are vital to health as they act as catalysts for mineral absorption and protein utilization.
And depending upon how closely you read the preceding paragraphs, what are some of the key nutrients missing? They happen to be ones we often hear today we don’t get enough of are we are deficient – calcium and vitamin D!
So, does this way of eating work? Well, it has proven successful for me and many of my clients. Following the guidelines we have lowered our cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increased our energy, and lost weight. But, I have an even wider audience. Recently I attended the annual conference of the Weston A. Price Foundation. I have referred to their excellent web site in the past (www.westonaprice.org). The conference had over 1200 attendees. Statistics for our general population show that 75% of adults are over weight (25% of them being classified as obese). At this conference, my quick visual assessment was that maybe 5% were over weight. Plus, when I talked to other attendees they all told the same stories of weight loss, improved digestion, and overall better health!
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Trick or Treat..It’s Halloween Every Day at the Supermarket
To stay on top of all the latest nutrition news requires lots of reading, but also lots of sorting through the marketing hype of the latest super food or breakthrough study. I subscribe to many magazines, newsletters, web sites, and blogs to keep up with the latest and greatest so I can pass that information on to my clients. I read what the people I agree with say and I read what the people I don’t agree with say – my form of spying!
Every now and then I come across something that truly amazes me. This occurs when an author is so blinded by either their personal bias or the bias of the publication; they do not even see the inconsistency and hypocrisy of their own writing. I’ve written about the American Diabetes Association on my blog. Here, I’d like to bring your attention to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, November 2009 edition.
To their credit, they do have an occasional useful article. That is where I learned how people are walking out of their favorite coffee shop with sometimes over 700 calories in their cup! But, at the same time they’ve told me that aspartame is poison, but sucralose (Splenda) is safe. I’ve even learned which the best margarines to eat are. Guess if you’re going to poison yourself you should do it with the best!
Back in June I wrote a column entitled The Truth about Soy. If you’d like to read it you can find it on my blog at http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-soy.html. So, where am I going with this? An article titled, Soy What? The jury’s still out on soy’s benefits. It looks at six areas where some have claimed that soy is beneficial – bones, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cognition, hot flashes, and heart disease. Each section discusses the latest research and then ends with what they call “The Bottom Line.” In each case “The Bottom Line” is a statement to make you think soy is healthy, even when the evidence cited basically says the opposite.
They have a quote that tells us, “Soy is a good food.” Yet, that is followed by, “But we can’t say right now that it has a positive effect on bones.” Or this one, “The idea that soy can stop prostate cancer is a wonderful hypothesis that hasn’t yet been adequately tested in men.” How about, “It’s unclear if any soy food reduce breast cancer risk.”
The true “Bottom Line” that they won’t come out and say is that there is not convincing evidence for any of the claims being made on behalf of soy. In fact, the FDA has been reviewing claims made for soy benefits and some of them are no longer allowed!
What does this mean to you and how does it tie to the Supermarket? There are so many health claims on all the boxes of packaged foods that are misleading and deceptive. Crackers are presented as “whole grain” or “multi-grain” and the main ingredient is white flour. Margarines say “Zero grams trans-fat” yet contain partially or hydrogenated oil. “Low fat” foods contain artificial sweeteners and more carbohydrates than the full fat versions which in your body actually produces more fat! “Natural” appears all over everything, but as I like to say – my wooden table is natural but that doesn’t mean I want to eat it!
If you like the information in these articles and have a Facebook account I’d encourage you to become a fan of Rosen Wellness. On a typical day I get many e-mails with all kinds of information about health and nutrition. The best ones I link to the Rosen Wellness Facebook page.
One other note – a book recommendation: Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet – One Room at a Time by Beth Greer. It provides useful tips for lifestyle shifts to enhance your health. “This practical guide offers page after page of tips for making the safest, healthiest choices in all kinds of goods including cosmetics, personal care products, household cleaners, furniture, food, and water.”
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Every now and then I come across something that truly amazes me. This occurs when an author is so blinded by either their personal bias or the bias of the publication; they do not even see the inconsistency and hypocrisy of their own writing. I’ve written about the American Diabetes Association on my blog. Here, I’d like to bring your attention to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, November 2009 edition.
To their credit, they do have an occasional useful article. That is where I learned how people are walking out of their favorite coffee shop with sometimes over 700 calories in their cup! But, at the same time they’ve told me that aspartame is poison, but sucralose (Splenda) is safe. I’ve even learned which the best margarines to eat are. Guess if you’re going to poison yourself you should do it with the best!
Back in June I wrote a column entitled The Truth about Soy. If you’d like to read it you can find it on my blog at http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-soy.html. So, where am I going with this? An article titled, Soy What? The jury’s still out on soy’s benefits. It looks at six areas where some have claimed that soy is beneficial – bones, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cognition, hot flashes, and heart disease. Each section discusses the latest research and then ends with what they call “The Bottom Line.” In each case “The Bottom Line” is a statement to make you think soy is healthy, even when the evidence cited basically says the opposite.
They have a quote that tells us, “Soy is a good food.” Yet, that is followed by, “But we can’t say right now that it has a positive effect on bones.” Or this one, “The idea that soy can stop prostate cancer is a wonderful hypothesis that hasn’t yet been adequately tested in men.” How about, “It’s unclear if any soy food reduce breast cancer risk.”
The true “Bottom Line” that they won’t come out and say is that there is not convincing evidence for any of the claims being made on behalf of soy. In fact, the FDA has been reviewing claims made for soy benefits and some of them are no longer allowed!
What does this mean to you and how does it tie to the Supermarket? There are so many health claims on all the boxes of packaged foods that are misleading and deceptive. Crackers are presented as “whole grain” or “multi-grain” and the main ingredient is white flour. Margarines say “Zero grams trans-fat” yet contain partially or hydrogenated oil. “Low fat” foods contain artificial sweeteners and more carbohydrates than the full fat versions which in your body actually produces more fat! “Natural” appears all over everything, but as I like to say – my wooden table is natural but that doesn’t mean I want to eat it!
If you like the information in these articles and have a Facebook account I’d encourage you to become a fan of Rosen Wellness. On a typical day I get many e-mails with all kinds of information about health and nutrition. The best ones I link to the Rosen Wellness Facebook page.
One other note – a book recommendation: Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet – One Room at a Time by Beth Greer. It provides useful tips for lifestyle shifts to enhance your health. “This practical guide offers page after page of tips for making the safest, healthiest choices in all kinds of goods including cosmetics, personal care products, household cleaners, furniture, food, and water.”
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Butter vs. Margarine – What’s the Truth?
This past week I gave several nutrition talks about the foods you should include in a healthy diet. I was astounded by the looks I received from quite a few people when I stated that butter is good for you and margarine is not. I also noticed that most of the folks who gave me that look were in their 50’s and 60’s, precisely the group of people who have been pounded with the message that margarine is good for you. In this article I hope to set the record straight and explain why butter is good for you and why margarine is bad for you.
Why butter is good for you:
The proponents (and manufacturers) of margarine have spread the word that butter is a saturated fat and saturated fat causes heart disease. I don’t have the space here to get into the details, but let me say this – there are many doctors, nutritionists, and scientists who do not believe this, including myself. If you want to learn how this theory became the accepted norm despite those who do not agree I’d encourage you to read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s The Cholesterol Myths, or visit the Weston Price Foundation web site www.westonaprice.org.
That being said, there is a general consensus that we need some saturated fat in our diet. Butter is a healthy saturated fat, particularly when it is organic, and even better when it comes from a grass fed cow. It is high in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without proper vitamins we can not utilize the minerals we ingest, no matter what level we eat. Vitamins A & D are essential for growth, healthy bones, proper development of the brain and nervous systems, and for normal sexual development. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and vitamin K is important for bone building and blood clotting.
Butter also has CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) that helps fight weight gain and butyric acid which is anti-viral and anti-cancer. For those with an allergy to the dairy protein casein, ghee (clarified butter) is an equally healthy option.
Why margarine is bad for you:
What may get lost in the discussion of whether or not butter is good for you, is the fact that margarine is definitely harmful to you. The bottom line is that margarine is made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. That means trans-fats. One fact that everyone who talks about nutrition agrees on is that trans fats cause cancer. (The other fact is that sugar is bad for you.)
A major problem we run into is that food labeling, particularly trans fat labeling is very deceiving. Basically, food manufacturers abuse the FDA labeling rules. According to FDA guidelines if products have less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving it can be labeled as zero grams of trans fat. The typical serving size is one tablespoon – that’s not all that much. One manufacturer, Smart Balance, has created an advertisement to show it has the least amount of trans fats compared to other brands. They conclude that of all the leading brands theirs stands out as it is “the closest to zero grams trans fat nature allows.” Quite the statement. They admit there is trans fat; trans fat causes cancer; but hey, it is as close as we can come. Sounds like a cigarette company telling us to smoke just one cigarette each day, because that is as close to zero as you could come!
Another basic problem with margarine is that it is made from a variety of vegetable oils which are polyunsaturated fatty acids. When exposed to heat and oxygen – both during manufacturing and later in cooking at high temperature – “free radicals” are created. These are the villains that damage our cells and tissues causing cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Our body knows the truth:
A summary of the biological facts concerning saturated fats and trans fats: saturated fats are essential for healthy cell membrane function, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats enhance hormone production, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats suppress inflammation, trans fats encourage inflammation; saturated fats raise “good” cholesterol, trans fats lower “good” cholesterol; saturated fats help insulin receptors, trans fats inhibit them; saturated fats enhance the immune system, trans fats depress it. So as you can see, from a biological perspective we need saturated fats and not trans fats.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Why butter is good for you:
The proponents (and manufacturers) of margarine have spread the word that butter is a saturated fat and saturated fat causes heart disease. I don’t have the space here to get into the details, but let me say this – there are many doctors, nutritionists, and scientists who do not believe this, including myself. If you want to learn how this theory became the accepted norm despite those who do not agree I’d encourage you to read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s The Cholesterol Myths, or visit the Weston Price Foundation web site www.westonaprice.org.
That being said, there is a general consensus that we need some saturated fat in our diet. Butter is a healthy saturated fat, particularly when it is organic, and even better when it comes from a grass fed cow. It is high in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without proper vitamins we can not utilize the minerals we ingest, no matter what level we eat. Vitamins A & D are essential for growth, healthy bones, proper development of the brain and nervous systems, and for normal sexual development. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and vitamin K is important for bone building and blood clotting.
Butter also has CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) that helps fight weight gain and butyric acid which is anti-viral and anti-cancer. For those with an allergy to the dairy protein casein, ghee (clarified butter) is an equally healthy option.
Why margarine is bad for you:
What may get lost in the discussion of whether or not butter is good for you, is the fact that margarine is definitely harmful to you. The bottom line is that margarine is made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. That means trans-fats. One fact that everyone who talks about nutrition agrees on is that trans fats cause cancer. (The other fact is that sugar is bad for you.)
A major problem we run into is that food labeling, particularly trans fat labeling is very deceiving. Basically, food manufacturers abuse the FDA labeling rules. According to FDA guidelines if products have less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving it can be labeled as zero grams of trans fat. The typical serving size is one tablespoon – that’s not all that much. One manufacturer, Smart Balance, has created an advertisement to show it has the least amount of trans fats compared to other brands. They conclude that of all the leading brands theirs stands out as it is “the closest to zero grams trans fat nature allows.” Quite the statement. They admit there is trans fat; trans fat causes cancer; but hey, it is as close as we can come. Sounds like a cigarette company telling us to smoke just one cigarette each day, because that is as close to zero as you could come!
Another basic problem with margarine is that it is made from a variety of vegetable oils which are polyunsaturated fatty acids. When exposed to heat and oxygen – both during manufacturing and later in cooking at high temperature – “free radicals” are created. These are the villains that damage our cells and tissues causing cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Our body knows the truth:
A summary of the biological facts concerning saturated fats and trans fats: saturated fats are essential for healthy cell membrane function, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats enhance hormone production, trans fats interfere with it; saturated fats suppress inflammation, trans fats encourage inflammation; saturated fats raise “good” cholesterol, trans fats lower “good” cholesterol; saturated fats help insulin receptors, trans fats inhibit them; saturated fats enhance the immune system, trans fats depress it. So as you can see, from a biological perspective we need saturated fats and not trans fats.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Kase for Vitamin K (and another reason to avoid Splenda)
Vitamin K may be one of the most overlooked vitamins when it comes to our overall health. It is one of the fat soluble vitamins, along with A, D, and E that are critical for many bodily functions. In particular, it is very important for heart health and studies have shown it do reduce arterial calcification and improve bone density. Unfortunately, many of us lack sufficient levels of Vitamin K. The main food source of Vitamin K is leafy green vegetables. However, there is another source – the beneficial intestinal bacteria that live within us. For much of human history this provided a significant proportion of Vitamin K. Here again is a problem of modern man and our diets. Many of us do not have adequate levels of the friendly flora in our guts. If you suffer from digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and acid reflux (to name a few) it is likely your personal bacteria are out of balance.
And now here’s the big “ah-hah” moment! We’ve all heard how our use of antibiotics kills the friendly flora, well here’s another. When experimental animals were given “FDA acceptable daily intake” amounts of sucralose (that’s Splenda) for 12 weeks, numbers of key beneficial flora were decreased significantly. Even after another 12 weeks of being off sucralose key levels remained significantly depressed. (Information courtesy of Nutrition & Healing September 2009 newsletter by Dr. Jonathan Wright.)
So – if you are having digestive problems and can’t figure out why, Splenda may be the culprit. And to be honest, any time you have something you can’t figure out, lay off all the artificial sweeteners for about 45 days and see what happens. They’ve been connected to all kinds of health maladies.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
And now here’s the big “ah-hah” moment! We’ve all heard how our use of antibiotics kills the friendly flora, well here’s another. When experimental animals were given “FDA acceptable daily intake” amounts of sucralose (that’s Splenda) for 12 weeks, numbers of key beneficial flora were decreased significantly. Even after another 12 weeks of being off sucralose key levels remained significantly depressed. (Information courtesy of Nutrition & Healing September 2009 newsletter by Dr. Jonathan Wright.)
So – if you are having digestive problems and can’t figure out why, Splenda may be the culprit. And to be honest, any time you have something you can’t figure out, lay off all the artificial sweeteners for about 45 days and see what happens. They’ve been connected to all kinds of health maladies.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Back to School Nutrition Ideas
In the spirit of “back to school” I thought I’d offer a few thoughts on nutrition for kids. (Of course this advice applies to adults as well.) In all honesty, it is probably the most challenging aspect of my private client practice. While it can be difficult to get adults to eat healthier, kids can be even more so. The food producers and manufacturers have developed special foods that they call “kid’s food”. If you take the time to read the list of ingredients you will find that most of it is not food and should not be consumed by anyone, particularly our children. Our children are growing and need the healthiest foods available to properly fuel their minds and bodies.
The consumption of “kid’s food” and more sedentary lifestyles (lack of exercise, lots of television, computer, and video games) is greatly impacting the health of our youth. Here’s some scary statistics from the CDC. Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 25 years, increasing from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, going from 5% to almost 18%. Keep in mind, before being classified as “obese” there is “overweight” classification, which I have seen estimates between 20 and 25%.
How do we get our kids to eat healthier foods? One successful strategy that I use is to make subtle substitutions to the foods they like to eat. Let’s take something as simple as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For the peanut butter use organic peanut butter that is nothing but peanuts and peanut oil. Most commercial peanut butters contain added sugar and hydrogenated oil (trans- fats). We know trans-fats are linked to cancer and that added sugar adds empty calories. I stress the organic because peanuts are one of the most highly pesticided crops, so non-organic peanut butter will contain potential chemical residues and toxins. Ever wonder why there are so many peanut allergies today? For the bread I recommend sprouted bread. It comes in a variety of flavors and is the healthiest bread option. It has more vitamins and fewer calories per slice. However, it is made from wheat so for those with gluten intolerance use another bread option such as flax and millet bread. For the jelly, find the most natural product you can. Look for spreads that do not add sugar or have less sugar added. The fruit already has plenty of sugar.
What are some other healthy substitutions? A major area to look at is the carbohydrates. Our kids eat a lot of them – bread, rice, pasta. Our goal here is to shift from the refined and processed white flour products to whole grains. In addition to the switch to sprouted breads, we can use brown rice instead of white rice and pasta from brown rice rather than refined wheat (the white pasta). All of these substitutions taste virtually the same. They just look a little different and that may turn off the kids. But, covered in tomato sauce they will never know the difference!
Then there are snacks. The kids get home from school and they are hungry and it is not quite dinner time. There are certainly some better choices than chips and dips. Another societal norm is this idea of “snack food.” Just like with “kid’s food” we need a little retraining. What is a snack? It is a small meal. So, think of something healthy that would be part of a meal. It can be a half of a sandwich, one hard boiled egg, a cup of yogurt, some fruit, something spread on a stick of celery, vegetables and dip. There’s nothing special about these foods, except that they are healthy. I like to tell people not to worry about if something is considered “breakfast” food or “snack” food – just eat healthy food when you are hungry!
A valuable resource is the web site www.mequonkids.com. It has lots of great ideas for school lunches and snacks. For more ideas and recipes go to the mequonkids.com web site and click on “Brown Bag Lunch Ideas” or “After School Snacks.”
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
The consumption of “kid’s food” and more sedentary lifestyles (lack of exercise, lots of television, computer, and video games) is greatly impacting the health of our youth. Here’s some scary statistics from the CDC. Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 25 years, increasing from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, going from 5% to almost 18%. Keep in mind, before being classified as “obese” there is “overweight” classification, which I have seen estimates between 20 and 25%.
How do we get our kids to eat healthier foods? One successful strategy that I use is to make subtle substitutions to the foods they like to eat. Let’s take something as simple as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For the peanut butter use organic peanut butter that is nothing but peanuts and peanut oil. Most commercial peanut butters contain added sugar and hydrogenated oil (trans- fats). We know trans-fats are linked to cancer and that added sugar adds empty calories. I stress the organic because peanuts are one of the most highly pesticided crops, so non-organic peanut butter will contain potential chemical residues and toxins. Ever wonder why there are so many peanut allergies today? For the bread I recommend sprouted bread. It comes in a variety of flavors and is the healthiest bread option. It has more vitamins and fewer calories per slice. However, it is made from wheat so for those with gluten intolerance use another bread option such as flax and millet bread. For the jelly, find the most natural product you can. Look for spreads that do not add sugar or have less sugar added. The fruit already has plenty of sugar.
What are some other healthy substitutions? A major area to look at is the carbohydrates. Our kids eat a lot of them – bread, rice, pasta. Our goal here is to shift from the refined and processed white flour products to whole grains. In addition to the switch to sprouted breads, we can use brown rice instead of white rice and pasta from brown rice rather than refined wheat (the white pasta). All of these substitutions taste virtually the same. They just look a little different and that may turn off the kids. But, covered in tomato sauce they will never know the difference!
Then there are snacks. The kids get home from school and they are hungry and it is not quite dinner time. There are certainly some better choices than chips and dips. Another societal norm is this idea of “snack food.” Just like with “kid’s food” we need a little retraining. What is a snack? It is a small meal. So, think of something healthy that would be part of a meal. It can be a half of a sandwich, one hard boiled egg, a cup of yogurt, some fruit, something spread on a stick of celery, vegetables and dip. There’s nothing special about these foods, except that they are healthy. I like to tell people not to worry about if something is considered “breakfast” food or “snack” food – just eat healthy food when you are hungry!
A valuable resource is the web site www.mequonkids.com. It has lots of great ideas for school lunches and snacks. For more ideas and recipes go to the mequonkids.com web site and click on “Brown Bag Lunch Ideas” or “After School Snacks.”
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ten Things to Know About the Swine Flu Vaccine
I received this in e-mail form today and wanted to pass it along. I thought the Blog would be an efficient way! The author credits are at the bottom of the posting. This is definitely one line you want to be at the back of.
Let's not beat around the bush on this issue: The swine flu vaccines now being prepared for mass injection into infants, children, teens and adults have never been tested and won't be tested before the injections begin. In Europe, where flu vaccines are typically tested on hundreds (or thousands) of people before being unleashed on the masses, the European Medicines Agency is allowing companies to skip the testing process entirely.
And yet, amazingly, people are lining up to take the vaccine, absent any safety testing whatsoever. When the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. announced a swine flu vaccine trial beginning in early August, it was inundated with phone calls and emails from people desperate to play the role of human guinea pigs. The power of fear to herd sheeple into vaccine injections is simply amazing...Back in Europe, of course, everybody gets to be a guinea pig since no testing will be done on the vaccine at all. Even worse, the European vaccines will be using adjuvants -- chemicals used to multiply the potency of the active ingredients in vaccines.
Notably, there is absolutely no safety data on the use of adjuvants in infants and expectant mothers -- the two groups being most aggressively targeted by the swine flu vaccine pushers. The leads us to the disturbing conclusion that the swine flu vaccine could be a modern medical disaster. It's untested and un-tried. Its ingredients are potentially quite dangerous, and the adjuvants being used in the European vaccines are suspected of causing neurological disorders.
Paralyzed by vaccines
I probably don't need to remind you that in 1976, a failed swine flu vaccine caused irreparable damage to the nervous systems of hundreds of people, paralyzing many. Medical doctors gave the problem a name, of course, to make it sound like they knew what they were talking about: Guillain-Barre syndrome. (Notably, they never called it "Toxic Vaccine Syndrome" because that would be too informative. )
But the fact remains that doctors never knew how the vaccines caused these severe problems, and if the same event played out today, all the doctors and vaccine pushers would undoubtedly deny any link between the vaccines and paralysis altogether. (That's what's happening today with the debate over vaccines and autism: Complete denial.)
In fact, there are a whole lot of things you'll never be told by health authorities about the upcoming swine flu vaccine. For your amusement, I've written down the ten most obvious ones and published them below.
Ten things you're not supposed to know about the swine flu vaccine
(At least, not by anyone in authority... )
#1 - The vaccine production was "rushed" and the vaccine has never been tested on humans. Do you like to play guinea pig for Big Pharma? If so, line up for your swine flu vaccine this fall...
#2 - Swine flu vaccines contain dangerous adjuvants that cause an inflammatory response in the body. This is why they are suspected of causing autism and other neurological disorders.
#3 - The swine flu vaccine could actually increase your risk of death from swine flu by altering (or suppressing) your immune system response. There is zero evidence that even seasonal flu shots offer any meaningful protection for people who take the jabs. Vaccines are the snake oil of modern medicine.
#4 - Doctors still don't know why the 1976 swine flu vaccines paralyzed so many people. And that means they really have no clue whether the upcoming vaccine might cause the same devastating side effects. (And they're not testing it, either...)
#5 - Even if the swine flu vaccine kills you, the drug companies aren't responsible. The U.S. government has granted drug companies complete immunity against vaccine product liability. Thanks to that blanket immunity, drug companies have no incentive to make safe vaccines, because they only get paid based on quantity, not safety (zero liability).
#6 - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D to protect you from influenza. That's an inconvenient scientific fact that the U.S. government, the FDA and Big Pharma hope the people never realize.
#7 - Even if the swine flu vaccine actually works, mathematically speaking if everyone else around you gets the vaccine, you don't need one! (Because it can't spread through the population you hang with.) So even if you believe in the vaccine, all you need to do is encourage your friends to go get vaccinated.. .
#8 - Drug companies are making billions of dollars from the production of swine flu vaccines. That money comes out of your pocket -- even if you don't get the jab -- because it's all paid by the taxpayers.
#9 - When people start dying in larger numbers from the swine flu, rest assured that many of them will be the very people who got the swine flu vaccine. Doctors will explain this away with their typical Big Pharma logic: "The number saved is far greater than the number lost." Of course, the number "saved" is entirely fictional... imaginary... and exists only in their own warped heads.
#10 - The swine flu vaccine centers that will crop up all over the world in the coming months aren't completely useless: They will provide an easy way to identify large groups of really stupid people. (Too bad there isn't some sort of blue dye that we could tag 'em with for future reference... )
The lottery, they say, is a tax on people who can't do math. Similarly, flu vaccines are a tax on people who don't understand health.
John Miksa ND, Co-Owner
The Natural Path LLC
2910 S Delaware AveMilwaukee, WI, 53207
414-483-9402
www.naturalpath- online.com
www.thecompasssyste m.com/af/ link.aspx? a=thenaturalpath
Let's not beat around the bush on this issue: The swine flu vaccines now being prepared for mass injection into infants, children, teens and adults have never been tested and won't be tested before the injections begin. In Europe, where flu vaccines are typically tested on hundreds (or thousands) of people before being unleashed on the masses, the European Medicines Agency is allowing companies to skip the testing process entirely.
And yet, amazingly, people are lining up to take the vaccine, absent any safety testing whatsoever. When the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. announced a swine flu vaccine trial beginning in early August, it was inundated with phone calls and emails from people desperate to play the role of human guinea pigs. The power of fear to herd sheeple into vaccine injections is simply amazing...Back in Europe, of course, everybody gets to be a guinea pig since no testing will be done on the vaccine at all. Even worse, the European vaccines will be using adjuvants -- chemicals used to multiply the potency of the active ingredients in vaccines.
Notably, there is absolutely no safety data on the use of adjuvants in infants and expectant mothers -- the two groups being most aggressively targeted by the swine flu vaccine pushers. The leads us to the disturbing conclusion that the swine flu vaccine could be a modern medical disaster. It's untested and un-tried. Its ingredients are potentially quite dangerous, and the adjuvants being used in the European vaccines are suspected of causing neurological disorders.
Paralyzed by vaccines
I probably don't need to remind you that in 1976, a failed swine flu vaccine caused irreparable damage to the nervous systems of hundreds of people, paralyzing many. Medical doctors gave the problem a name, of course, to make it sound like they knew what they were talking about: Guillain-Barre syndrome. (Notably, they never called it "Toxic Vaccine Syndrome" because that would be too informative. )
But the fact remains that doctors never knew how the vaccines caused these severe problems, and if the same event played out today, all the doctors and vaccine pushers would undoubtedly deny any link between the vaccines and paralysis altogether. (That's what's happening today with the debate over vaccines and autism: Complete denial.)
In fact, there are a whole lot of things you'll never be told by health authorities about the upcoming swine flu vaccine. For your amusement, I've written down the ten most obvious ones and published them below.
Ten things you're not supposed to know about the swine flu vaccine
(At least, not by anyone in authority... )
#1 - The vaccine production was "rushed" and the vaccine has never been tested on humans. Do you like to play guinea pig for Big Pharma? If so, line up for your swine flu vaccine this fall...
#2 - Swine flu vaccines contain dangerous adjuvants that cause an inflammatory response in the body. This is why they are suspected of causing autism and other neurological disorders.
#3 - The swine flu vaccine could actually increase your risk of death from swine flu by altering (or suppressing) your immune system response. There is zero evidence that even seasonal flu shots offer any meaningful protection for people who take the jabs. Vaccines are the snake oil of modern medicine.
#4 - Doctors still don't know why the 1976 swine flu vaccines paralyzed so many people. And that means they really have no clue whether the upcoming vaccine might cause the same devastating side effects. (And they're not testing it, either...)
#5 - Even if the swine flu vaccine kills you, the drug companies aren't responsible. The U.S. government has granted drug companies complete immunity against vaccine product liability. Thanks to that blanket immunity, drug companies have no incentive to make safe vaccines, because they only get paid based on quantity, not safety (zero liability).
#6 - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D to protect you from influenza. That's an inconvenient scientific fact that the U.S. government, the FDA and Big Pharma hope the people never realize.
#7 - Even if the swine flu vaccine actually works, mathematically speaking if everyone else around you gets the vaccine, you don't need one! (Because it can't spread through the population you hang with.) So even if you believe in the vaccine, all you need to do is encourage your friends to go get vaccinated.. .
#8 - Drug companies are making billions of dollars from the production of swine flu vaccines. That money comes out of your pocket -- even if you don't get the jab -- because it's all paid by the taxpayers.
#9 - When people start dying in larger numbers from the swine flu, rest assured that many of them will be the very people who got the swine flu vaccine. Doctors will explain this away with their typical Big Pharma logic: "The number saved is far greater than the number lost." Of course, the number "saved" is entirely fictional... imaginary... and exists only in their own warped heads.
#10 - The swine flu vaccine centers that will crop up all over the world in the coming months aren't completely useless: They will provide an easy way to identify large groups of really stupid people. (Too bad there isn't some sort of blue dye that we could tag 'em with for future reference... )
The lottery, they say, is a tax on people who can't do math. Similarly, flu vaccines are a tax on people who don't understand health.
John Miksa ND, Co-Owner
The Natural Path LLC
2910 S Delaware AveMilwaukee, WI, 53207
414-483-9402
www.naturalpath- online.com
www.thecompasssyste m.com/af/ link.aspx? a=thenaturalpath
Don't Get Tricked at the Grocery Store
One of my pet peeves in the world of nutrition is all the false claims and misleading marketing that we are subject to each day. Everybody (including me, although of course I am right!) is telling you what to eat and what not to eat. Often times the information is conflicting and/or confusing. As a result two things can happen. Either you will begin to ignore the information and give up on your attempt to eat healthier or even worse you will be misled into believing something is healthy when in fact it is not.
On top of the list comes the “low fat” craze. I’ve written before that we need fat. It is an essential nutrient for a healthy body. However, we’ve become scared of fat. We believe that eating fat makes us fat. While that is true to a certain extent when we consume large amounts of bad fats, for most people the true culprit making us fat is eating too much processed flour and sugar. Here’s a classic example. We buy the low-fat version of our favorite cracker. The label claims “33% less fat than the original.” Sounds great. But here’s what it really means. The original version has 3 grams of fat per serving, while the low-fat version has 2 grams. That’s your 33% - one gram! Now here’s the problem. In order to make the cracker taste like anything you’ll want to eat the manufacturer adds more refined flour and sugar. So guess what – in your body this will create more fat!
Another problem with “low fat” foods is that they often contain either more sugar, or for “low calorie” they contain artificial sweeteners. Let’s look at our human biology again. It is fat that is satiating. It is fat that tastes good. It is fat that fills us. When they take out the fat, in order to make the “food” palatable, that’s where the sugar and artificial sweeteners come into play. I’ve written several past columns about sugar and artificial sweeteners so I won’t go into that here. The point being, neither the sugar nor the artificial sweetener will satisfy our hunger and we will want to eat again soon and consume more of these empty and non-satiating calories. Recent studies have shown that these “diet” foods actually cause us to eat more!
Ever notice all the different logos on products claiming various health attributes. Did you know that those are bought? Did you know that the instant oatmeals with the American Heart Association health seal actually have more sugar per serving than the perceived “sugary” cereals such as Froot Loops? All the logo means is that it meets the AHA’s “food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.” The irony of course is that sugar is one of the contributors to stress and ultimately the cholesterol our body is making to deal with the stress!
Another favorite of mine is the “good source” claim. If a serving has 10% of the recommended daily value of a specific nutrient is qualifies as a “good source.” On that criteria a good source of calcium is honey teddy grahams. The only problem is that they also contain 23 grams of carbohydrate or almost 6 teaspoons of sugar to your body. And here’s the list of ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Honey, Maltodextrin, Calcium Carbonate (Source of Calcium), Baking Soda, Salt, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier) – sounds real healthy! By the way the calcium you’ll note is from calcium carbonate – not the most absorbable form of calcium; or better known as chalk, limestone, or marble. Now that sounds yummy!
So, as you can see there is quite a bit of deception going on with food labeling. It is all legal and within regulatory requirements. Unfortunately it does not protect you – the consumer. If you are going to buy boxed food it is in your best interest to read the label very carefully. Know what you are buying and putting in to your body. And, if you need more help, please give me a call or e-mail me.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
On top of the list comes the “low fat” craze. I’ve written before that we need fat. It is an essential nutrient for a healthy body. However, we’ve become scared of fat. We believe that eating fat makes us fat. While that is true to a certain extent when we consume large amounts of bad fats, for most people the true culprit making us fat is eating too much processed flour and sugar. Here’s a classic example. We buy the low-fat version of our favorite cracker. The label claims “33% less fat than the original.” Sounds great. But here’s what it really means. The original version has 3 grams of fat per serving, while the low-fat version has 2 grams. That’s your 33% - one gram! Now here’s the problem. In order to make the cracker taste like anything you’ll want to eat the manufacturer adds more refined flour and sugar. So guess what – in your body this will create more fat!
Another problem with “low fat” foods is that they often contain either more sugar, or for “low calorie” they contain artificial sweeteners. Let’s look at our human biology again. It is fat that is satiating. It is fat that tastes good. It is fat that fills us. When they take out the fat, in order to make the “food” palatable, that’s where the sugar and artificial sweeteners come into play. I’ve written several past columns about sugar and artificial sweeteners so I won’t go into that here. The point being, neither the sugar nor the artificial sweetener will satisfy our hunger and we will want to eat again soon and consume more of these empty and non-satiating calories. Recent studies have shown that these “diet” foods actually cause us to eat more!
Ever notice all the different logos on products claiming various health attributes. Did you know that those are bought? Did you know that the instant oatmeals with the American Heart Association health seal actually have more sugar per serving than the perceived “sugary” cereals such as Froot Loops? All the logo means is that it meets the AHA’s “food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.” The irony of course is that sugar is one of the contributors to stress and ultimately the cholesterol our body is making to deal with the stress!
Another favorite of mine is the “good source” claim. If a serving has 10% of the recommended daily value of a specific nutrient is qualifies as a “good source.” On that criteria a good source of calcium is honey teddy grahams. The only problem is that they also contain 23 grams of carbohydrate or almost 6 teaspoons of sugar to your body. And here’s the list of ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Honey, Maltodextrin, Calcium Carbonate (Source of Calcium), Baking Soda, Salt, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier) – sounds real healthy! By the way the calcium you’ll note is from calcium carbonate – not the most absorbable form of calcium; or better known as chalk, limestone, or marble. Now that sounds yummy!
So, as you can see there is quite a bit of deception going on with food labeling. It is all legal and within regulatory requirements. Unfortunately it does not protect you – the consumer. If you are going to buy boxed food it is in your best interest to read the label very carefully. Know what you are buying and putting in to your body. And, if you need more help, please give me a call or e-mail me.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
